end,you will be missed.i consider you the captain of this blog.i think you deserve a promotion for complaining about the goal judge.in the navy, a captain gets promoted to rear admiral.i would like to promote you to REAR END.congrats. it is well deserved. Posted by penalty

The overall state of the reffing in women's hockey this year was an embarrassment to the MIAA. Does any one come to evaluate these refs? And then they get assigned to playoff games. Also how convenient that when St Marys and Hingham went into OT the ice was cleaned and they got a break but not during the Winthrop and Hingham OT!! Please get refs that are not so old that they cannot see a goal or keep up with the play in the Semi final game!! And the point of the goal judge if he cant see either?

The quality of officials will never meet everyone's expectations. This is true at all levels of any sport.

Fans rail at the officials of Pro Sports games.Fans rail at the officials of College games.Fans rail at the officials of High School games.Fans rail at the officials of youth league sports.

Yes everyone would hope for a perfect official but they are human too. Players miss easy shots or goals too. Some mistakes are physical, some are mental. Yes I also agree that some poeple who officiate are past their prime (if they ever were in it), and should not continue, BUT, the number of people who are willing to do that often thankless job are not unlimited.

It can be endlessly frustrating to a fan or player to have a mistake made by the official that changes the outcome of a game. It is also frustrating to the official who made the mistake. No one likes to mess up.

Additional judges and refs can help, but even that will not prevent all mistakes. I also personally know that the calls that go against you, stick with your memory a lot longer than the ones that go for you or your team. Its just human nature. Games are full of mistakes from beginning to end by everyone - players, officials and coaches.

Life goes on. I learned that when coaching in youth sports. The players almost universally forgot and did not care soon after the final whistle blew. Some parents and other adults however stayed steamed for some time. Its just a game at those levels and getting too worked up was never good for anyone. At those levels no $$ is involved, and I understand as we go up in levels, that more and more $$ and futures could be affected, but overall for everyone who got a bad call, there is someone on the other side who benefited from that same call. As I said, life goes on.

The quality of officials will never meet everyone's expectations. This is true at all levels of any sport. Fans rail at the officials of Pro Sports games. Fans rail at the officials of College games. Fans rail at the officials of High School games. Fans rail at the officials of youth league sports. Yes everyone would hope for a perfect official but they are human too. Players miss easy shots or goals too. Some mistakes are physical, some are mental. Yes I also agree that some poeple who officiate are past their prime (if they ever were in it), and should not continue, BUT, the number of people who are willing to do that often thankless job are not unlimited. It can be endlessly frustrating to a fan or player to have a mistake made by the official that changes the outcome of a game. It is also frustrating to the official who made the mistake. No one likes to mess up. Additional judges and refs can help, but even that will not prevent all mistakes. I also personally know that the calls that go against you, stick with your memory a lot longer than the ones that go for you or your team. Its just human nature. Games are full of mistakes from beginning to end by everyone - players, officials and coaches. Life goes on. I learned that when coaching in youth sports. The players almost universally forgot and did not care soon after the final whistle blew. Some parents and other adults however stayed steamed for some time. Its just a game at those levels and getting too worked up was never good for anyone. At those levels no $$ is involved, and I understand as we go up in levels, that more and more $$ and futures could be affected, but overall for everyone who got a bad call, there is someone on the other side who benefited from that same call. As I said, life goes on. Posted by PetefromNorthofBoston

I knew I should have stayed for that third period. After the AB win, I decided to stay around and watch some of the second game. I decided to leave at the end of the 2nd period, it was appeared to me that it was only a matter of time until Hingham pulled away, the only reason it was tied was because of the unbelievable goaltending by the WL goalie. It was a lot of fun watching her play. Thanks kid. So, as it turns out, I should have stayed, I missed all the action. So was it a goal or not? Earlier in the game it appeared that WL took the lead, but that puck did not cross the goal line.

it would have been a shame after that dominance if hingham had lost just due to a great goalie.. and if u think the miaa is going to add another ref for a girls game u gotta be crazy...Posted by Downtown11

But isn't the goalie a part of the team? It takes every player (or many, at least) on the team to play well to say the team played well.

The quality of officials will never meet everyone's expectations. This is true at all levels of any sport. Fans rail at the officials of Pro Sports games. Fans rail at the officials of College games. Fans rail at the officials of High School games. Fans rail at the officials of youth league sports. Yes everyone would hope for a perfect official but they are human too. Players miss easy shots or goals too. Some mistakes are physical, some are mental. Yes I also agree that some poeple who officiate are past their prime (if they ever were in it), and should not continue, BUT, the number of people who are willing to do that often thankless job are not unlimited. It can be endlessly frustrating to a fan or player to have a mistake made by the official that changes the outcome of a game. It is also frustrating to the official who made the mistake. No one likes to mess up. Additional judges and refs can help, but even that will not prevent all mistakes. I also personally know that the calls that go against you, stick with your memory a lot longer than the ones that go for you or your team. Its just human nature. Games are full of mistakes from beginning to end by everyone - players, officials and coaches. Life goes on. I learned that when coaching in youth sports. The players almost universally forgot and did not care soon after the final whistle blew. Some parents and other adults however stayed steamed for some time. Its just a game at those levels and getting too worked up was never good for anyone. At those levels no $$ is involved, and I understand as we go up in levels, that more and more $$ and futures could be affected, but overall for everyone who got a bad call, there is someone on the other side who benefited from that same call. As I said, life goes on. Posted by PetefromNorthofBoston

PNB - you're right, life does to on but.... in my 40 years of organized hockey 30 playing and 20 coaching, I have never seen more incompetence than I've seen this year in MIAA girls hockey. It should be embarassing to MIAA.

just to be clear - never once in my career have I ever berated or yelled at an official or allowed any player to do so. I have zero tolerance for that behavior.

In Response to Re: EMASS Girls Hockey 2010-2011 : But isn't the goalie a part of the team? It takes every player (or many, at least) on the team to play well to say the team played well. Posted by HockeyDad01

sometimes 1 player can almost single handed carry a team. now the shots were somewhere around 50 to 12 in hinghams favor. in my opinion the goalie kept them in this game. if you say the team as a whole played great i'm sorry i'd have to disagree.. the team with the majority of best players won and i think they are the better team to be going to final. no knock on the other kids but i think they all know the best team won.

My daughter and I were behind the net in question. She says the Winthrop OT one was definitely a goal. I missed it, as I was watching the aftermath of the play. The Hingham one was not a goal. The puck made it about 1/2 way across the line. The Winthrop goalie somehow managed to not knock the puck across the line when she reached back to grab it.Posted by HockeyDad01

Sorry hockey dad, the puck never crossed the line, it just dropped and stopped, no roll at all.I was at a perfect angle where I saw it. I went to watch the A/B- Woburn game and ended up staying for the entire second game so I'm telling you this as a neutral person.

The overall state of the reffing in women's hockey this year was an embarrassment to the MIAA. Does any one come to evaluate these refs? And then they get assigned to playoff games. Also how convenient that when St Marys and Hingham went into OT the ice was cleaned and they got a break but not during the Winthrop and Hingham OT!! Please get refs that are not so old that they cannot see a goal or keep up with the play in the Semi final game!! And the point of the goal judge if he cant see either?Posted by Girls-Hockey

Goal judge can't see, hmmm let me guess Winthrop, see earlier post! I will agree on the poor officiating though, I'm still trying to figure out what is and whats not icing, been very questionable all season.

Some rules should be pretty clear cut, others will always be subject to the ref's judgement. Its when they blow the rules, or just don't seem to know them that I know I used to have internal explosions as a coach!!!! In a number of occasions I did let the league supervisor know of the rules issue after the fact, whenever it was clearly a lack of rules knowledge. I was coaching soccer at the time. Ref called for a handball in the box and awarded the affected team a corner kick???? what?? League rules were pretty clear on not challenging the calls of the refs in game, so tongues (mine and the assistants) were almost bitten off. Offsides was the most blown call in general, but to be fair, those were almost all single refs for the whole field, making it hard to call.

That is why it does make a world of sense to be sure to have a full compliment of refs and judges on the final stages of the playoffs. Helps to mitigate the missed call syndrome. Even if it does cost another stipend or two for the game.

The Icing rule while somewhat clear, does have the slightly vague clause as follows: The official believes a player on the opposing team (other than the goalkeeper) could have played the puck before it crossed the goal line. So if it seems the defending team was not trying to get to the puck with due haste then it could be waved off for example, and that becomes a judgement.

To argue if it was a goal or not is pretty much a waste of time' or maybe you like seeing your post, bottom line its past tense, history. So to move on to another subject, I'm hoping that the MIAA has the brains to have both girls hockey game finals(Div. 1, Div. 2) right after each other, not like last year when Div. 2 was @9 am and Div. 1 was @8 pm. That was an embarrasment, it showed that the baffoons running this tournament just don't care about girls high school hockey.Maybe they'll get it right this year, holding my breath,

In Response to Re: EMASS Girls Hockey 2010-2011 : Sorry hockey dad, the puck never crossed the line, it just dropped and stopped, no roll at all. I was at a perfect angle where I saw it. I went to watch the A/B- Woburn game and ended up staying for the entire second game so I'm telling you this as a neutral person. Bob(or as penalty says, bobby)Posted by suburbanbob

Like I said - I missed it.

Hingham made the Winthrop goalie look good. Half those shots were right at her glove. Once they figured out the way to beat her was low, they started putting the puck in the net. They almost waited too long to figure that one out.

Let me get this straight, did the puck go in the net in overtime or not? If it did, some of you people are saying it does not matter that the refs made a mistake because the better team won. You want a team to lose due to a bad call instead of a team losing to a hot goaltender? Really? Then why did they play the game? In fact why did they not just crown SMH the champion and not have the playoffs. Have you ever played the game or any team sport? Go back to the sewing table Muffy!Posted by cford19

so far the goal judge said it did not go in it hit the post, neither ref saw it go in, a neutral fan behind the net said it did not go in and someones daughter said it went in. I also read in the paper that the hingham coach thought it was the back of a stick that he thought hit the back of the net. also whats this got to do with the saints. they lost they all said good job to hingham and moved on. its a very tough loss if it went in but the sour grapes does not make any1 look good and if you think the end of that game will change how they ref the future girls games good luck to ya...

In Response to Re: EMASS Girls Hockey 2010-2011 : But isn't the goalie a part of the team? It takes every player (or many, at least) on the team to play well to say the team played well. Posted by HockeyDad01

quote from the winthrop-lynn coach after game in herald interview, " we knew if we were going to win katie burt would have to steal it for us." enough said..

Ok so are you people idiots?? Have you ever watched the NHL? Hot goalies always steal the Stanley Cup!! I don't care if the other team had 100 shots if they had lost they would not have had the better team. If they were so much better they should have won by a lot more and not a questionable "no goal call" in OT. Winthrop sure had a good shot to goal ratio but I'm sure that didn't matter either!! I bet they were also lucky for winning all of their Tourney games?? If you know anything about hockey both teams played great. Well Hingham has a great team they deserve credit for playing a great game and it was a great game for Girls HS Hockey. Good luck to all Sun.

sorry, I was thinking of a different close one that happened a lot earlier in the game. I do remember the rocket that clanged off the post, awesome shot also did you notice the W/L players on the ice didn't really argue the call!

Sad thing is, if W/L did beat Hingham, I think they'd take the title. A/B doesn't have the firepower to beat KB, only speed which will help now that they are playing Hingham with BF who looked a little shakey in the 4 periods, stood up ok in the shoot out though.One problem now is when Hinghams CC takes that shot from the point, A/B players better be ready to sacrifice their body because I doubt the 7th grader is going to have a chance stopping it.

sorry, I was thinking of a different close one that happened a lot earlier in the game. I do remember the rocket that clanged off the post, awesome shot also did you notice the W/L players on the ice didn't really argue the call! Sad thing is, if W/L did beat Hingham, I think they'd take the title. A/B doesn't have the firepower to beat KB, only speed which will help now that they are playing Hingham with BF who looked a little shakey in the 4 periods, stood up ok in the shoot out though. One problem now is when Hinghams CC takes that shot from the point, A/B players better be ready to sacrifice their body because I doubt the 7th grader is going to have a chance stopping it. BobPosted by suburbanbob

As far as a total game I don't think it will be as dominated by Hingham as much as the W/L game. But hopefully Hingham will not run into another goalie that can win game all by herself. Luckily I think the W/L goalie just ran out of gas in the shootout and who could blame her. Either way both teams knocked off the 2 top seeds and I think this final will be a dandy.

First of all,,yes a goalie can win a game all by himself or herself at the HS level,but no team wins the stanley cup with just the great play of the goalie. The team usually has other superstars on the team.W/L won games because of her. Look at the shots on net. Good team,but not the same talent wise as other teams. Shootouts also must go. They don't measure the talent of a team. Look at the shootouts this year. AHS came up short and they were the better team in that game shot wise. Hingham also could of lost because of the shootout. keep the players on the ice,,,,4 on 4, 3 or 3, then the shootout. The MIAA should see this is no way to end a playoff game.